Courtesy of Zach TracyHome brewer Zach Tracy knows a thing or two about proper tasting.

For beer lovers, heaven comes to Cleveland this Friday and Saturday.

That's when the International Beer Fest is here, offering three tasting sessions, hosting 200 breweries, and serving more than -- get this -- 800 different beers.

That's a lot of beer.

So how does one go about trying to get your palate around hundreds of beers? Here are some guidelines:

So many beers! How do you taste 800 beers in a few hours? You don't. Don't even try. It's not a competition.

Clear your mind: Zach Tracy, an award-winning home-brewer from Cleveland Heights, says to keep it simple. "For me, the most important thing is to not have any preconceived notions about the beer prior to tasting it," he says. "This is hard to do, but I find that if I'm thinking too much about the style, if I like the label, or if friends have given me their opinion, etc., then my sampling is not truly objective."

MORE INFO

What: More than 800 beers from 200 breweries will be offered for 2-ounce tastings in the event billed as the largest in the Midwest. Brewers and authors will be in attendance, along with demonstrations, food-beer pairing seminars, products and more.

Note: Want to be a volunteer at the event? Go to the website for details.

The sniff test: If anyone should know tasting methods, it's Ray Daniels, director of the Cicerone Certification Program in Chicago. He says always taste from a glass -- no bottles or cans, although hard plastic cups are OK. Don't fill to the brim; allow room to swirl. For him, sniffing is a science: "Sample the aroma with two to four short sniffs. If you want more time to assess the aroma, take the glass away, swirl again and then come back for a few more short sniffs. Because your sense of smell adapts, your first impression is often the best. Also, aroma usually will tell you almost as much about the beer as tasting it."

Taste like a pro: "You want more than a sip and less than a mouthful," Daniels says. "You want beer to coat your tongue, but you also want to move it around so that sections of the tongue are alternately covered and uncovered to better stimulate your taste buds. Some people move their jaw up and down in a motion that looks like chewing to swish the beer around on the tongue."

Take your time: "Don't just gulp the beer down," Tracy adds. "By taking your time you will be better able to process all the different levels of flavor the beer has. . . . What do you taste first? Was there an initial bite of hops, or was there a sweeter malty taste?" Sip again, he says, to discern other flavors.

To spit or not to spit: "Aftertaste plays a role in overall flavor perception and in desirability of the beer," Daniels says, adding that beer tasters generally swallow samples. That is up to the individual taster.

Be adventurous: This event is a chance to try styles. It's economical to taste a sample at a fest rather than take a flier on an expensive six-pack.

Basic test: Want a quick barometer on how good a brewery is? Sample its pilsner. Basic, yes, but you can't cover brewing mistakes. With something more elaborate like an imperial IPA, you can always cover with more hops. Not that that's a bad thing.

Maturity factor: Palates can evolve. Just like with food, people can learn to like a particular style of beer. You may not think you like a certain style, but now is the chance to prove that.

Stay sober: At the IX Center event, complimentary water stations will be available, and food will be sold. Daniels also encourages sharing. It's "a great way to sample a lot of beers. If you attend with friends, you can each get a different beer and then smell/sip each other's glasses. . . . This allows you a broader sampling experience without having to drink as much beer."

Use all your senses: Judging beer is a science, and Pat Daniels -- one of the most knowledgeable tasters around -- offers an excellent guide: bjcp.org/docs/How_to_Judge_Beer.pdf. "All five human senses can and should be used when judging officially or casually," says Daniels, a bartender at McNulty's Bier Markt. And yes, that includes hearing: "I know what you're thinking. How can one's ears contribute to the overall beer-tasting experience? When judging or casually drinking from beer poured from the bottle, I have started the process with many styles such as a highly carbonated Belgian Gueuze and Tripel that should present the sound of massive amounts of CO2 escaping from the bottle (like popping champagne) after being opened. Unfortunately, my ears are the first to detect that such a bottle has gone flat and lost this sought-after carbonation that helps makes the style."

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.